Australian Classic Revived By Martin Scorsese

Real Art Ways this weekend will show a long-forgotten movie that — along with "Mad Max," "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and "The Last Wave" — is considered one of the most important films in the history of Australian cinema.

"Wake in Fright," also called "Outback," is a thriller about a schoolteacher who is given an assignment to teach in the Australian outback. While stuck there, his emotional stability is challenged by a group of drunken townspeople, who make it their business to torment him.

It was originally shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1971, and was singled out for special attention by Martin Scorsese in 2009, when it was shown again at the festival.

It will be shown Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2 and 3, at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St. in Hartford. Showtime is each day.